Eloise will lose her locks for her mum’s cause

Eloise Lovesey with her mother Hayley, who has breast cancer. Eloise is having her head shaved today to raise money for Breast Cancer Care

TWELVE-year-old Eloise Love-sey is pressing on with her headshave in aid of Breast Cancer Care today in solidarity with her mum.

The schoolgirl from Briars Close in Royal Wootton Bassett will have every inch of her waist-length hair cut off in support of mum Hayley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in December.

She has been planning the feat, which has already raised more than £2,300, since January and did not let questions from Royal Wootton Bassett Academy distract her from her goal.

Hayley, 36, said: “Her school did ask if she would look at doing other things, but she said she has wanted to do this right from the start, and she wouldn’t change her mind.”

Eloise raised £1,400 in the first three days of her online Just Giving page going live, such was the strength of supp.

The total money raised stood at £2,380.10 from 173 donations last night, more than double her initial target of £1,000, which will go to Breast Cancer Care.

The hair shaved from Eloise’s head will also be collected and donated to Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real hair wigs for children suffering hair loss.

“I’m feeling okay about it all,” said Eloise. “I’m very excited. I have waited ages to do this.

“I just wanted to do something to raise some money and do something for my mum.

“It’s important I go through with it. My friends have been really supportive.”

Hayley has recently completed her second cycle of chemotherapy at Great Western Hospital. Each cycle runs for one full day and she will undergo four more cycles, with three weeks recuperation between each.

She said her five children – Eloise, Joshua, 14, Jaxson, nine, Lewis, eight, and Isaac, six – have remained strong throughout the process up to now, despite her appearance changing and the loss of her hair.

“It’s quite hard to go through. I lost most of my hair and then shaved what was left off. It was quite hard to come to terms with,” she said. “Obviously it was difficult for the children to see me looking the way I was initially, but they have been fantastic and quite resilient to it.

“Eloise has been fine. The only thing which upset her was the day I shaved my hair off. “ Longleaze Primary School in Royal Wootton Bassett, which Jaxson, Lewis and Isaac attend, raised £220 on a non-uniform day which will also go towards Breast Cancer Care.